The Violence of Protection | The Weekly Read

Why It Matters

The book reveals that well‑intentioned protection laws can reinforce systemic racism and undermine survivor autonomy, prompting urgent policy reevaluation.

Key Takeaways

• VAWA funds law enforcement rescue of women.
• State safeguards can expand punishment for survivors.
• Asian immigrant women link gender violence to anti-Black policing.
• Book uses feminist refusal and abolitionist frameworks.
• Highlights racial violence within immigration enforcement.

Pulse Analysis

The Violence of Protection revisits the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a legislation long hailed as a feminist milestone. While VAWA channels federal resources toward rescuing victims, Wang argues that its implementation disproportionately empowers law‑enforcement agencies, turning protection into a mechanism of control. By financing police‑led interventions, the act inadvertently creates a surveillance net that traps survivors, especially those whose immigration status is precarious. This paradox—protective funding that fuels policing—exposes a structural blind spot in U.S. anti‑violence policy, where safety is measured by state oversight rather than survivor autonomy.

Wang situates Asian immigrant women at the intersection of gendered violence, racialized policing, and immigration enforcement. Drawing on feminist refusal and abolitionist theory, she demonstrates how the “Asian immigrant woman” becomes a legal subject whose protection is contingent on compliance with immigration law. The book reveals that state‑provided safeguards often expand punitive measures, extending the reach of anti‑Black policing into Asian communities. By mapping these assemblages, Wang challenges the conventional narrative that VAWA uniformly benefits all women, highlighting how racial hierarchies shape the distribution of legal aid and the risk of deportation for survivors.

The implications extend beyond academic debate to policy reform and grassroots activism. Wang’s critique suggests that future anti‑violence frameworks must decouple safety services from law‑enforcement funding, embracing community‑based models that prioritize survivor‑led decision‑making. Her work also underscores the importance of open‑access publishing, enabling scholars, advocates, and policymakers to engage with critical analyses without paywalls. As the U.S. grapples with immigration reform and policing accountability, "The Violence of Protection" offers a roadmap for integrating abolitionist feminism into legislative redesign, ensuring that protection does not become a vehicle for racialized violence.